The Los Angeles Times reports that “L.A. County’s homeless problem is worsening despite billions from tax measures.” Rather than “despite,” they might have said “because of,” since the more taxpayer money is bestowed upon the homeless, the more will be drawn from around the country — and the world. The situation is so bad that California trains have been slowed down by all the homeless people on the tracks:

Trains along the popular Capitol Corridor are running later than before, and homeless camps are partly to blame.

Rail officials say more people have trespassed on train tracks in the last year, forcing engineers at times to hit the brakes to avoid a possible crash – and at times tragically unable to. That’s left trains loaded with commuters or freight grinding to a halt in the middle of nowhere. …

If a person is killed by a train, it may be held in place for two to three hours as coroners, police and track inspectors do post-mortem work, officials said.

This slows down all the traffic behind. Just braking because someone wandering around the tracks seems likely to step on the rails requires a 10-minute wait while the engine is reset.

Homeless encampments have been sprouting like mushrooms in California, including along train tracks. If the state ever finishes its multi-$billion overrun high-speed rail boondoggle, they may have to rename it low-speed rail.